Today is the last day of 2014.  Tomorrow will be 2015 and I can remember when the year 2000 was a big deal.  Time flies more quickly every year, making me want to try and slow things down a bit and to savor each day and moment that is offered to me.  As I look back over the past year, I am overwhelmed with what an amazing year it turned out to be.  

We moved back to Louisiana after only being gone for a year in Texas, allowing me to reconnect with old friends that have become stronger relationships now than they ever were before.  There have also been new friends and I have been so blessed to have these talented and kind women be a part of my life.  I fell in love with Baton Rouge in a new light and the people that live in this city with me.

My Diary of Us has grown, slowly and organically, and I feel like there are big things in store for 2015.  I have loved connecting with those of you who have reached out and feel like I know several of you even though we have never met.  Social media has a strange way of connecting people through images and words doesn't it?  I look back at some of my first posts and photos and tend to cringe, but at the same time it is documentation of my growth and of me finding my voice and confidence, which is kind of beautiful.

I got a deal to style and photograph a cookbook for the ladies of Five Seasons Cooking, I've been able to connect with brands, I helped host a 100 person Farm to Fork dinner, and I just got my first recipe publication in a local magazine.  I don't know what the future holds, but I know that there are good things coming and I intend to keep working hard and plowing my way through to work towards my goals.

I am most thankful for a husband who loves me unconditionally and believes in this dream I am trying to achieve and that he provides me with continual support.  And while the blessings have been plentiful, there have been times of hardship too.  Times where we had to and are currently having to lean on each other for strength and hope.  

But life is just that, a mix of the good and the bad.  Without the bad stuff, you can't appreciate the good stuff right?  

As the new year begins, we have a new venture to prepare for.  In the Spring, we are uprooting again and will be heading back to Texas.  We are moving to Houston and are excited, scared, and ready to embrace what God has in store for us there.  

Thank you for your support, your prayers, and your love for delicious food.  Thank you for trusting me to create beautiful food that you can make at home because it's my passion and I love nothing more than to feed you and bring you joy through food.  

Cheers to 2015 guys and making it count!  And as always, I love when you leave comments and would love to hear about what's in store for you in 2015!

Xx

"They tried to bury us.  They didn't know we were seeds." -Mexican Proverb

(photo by Natalie Mancuso Photography)